CD: Count Basie, "Ken Burns Jazz: The Definitive Count Basie"

My brother came up to me the other night and said, "Hey, I got this great new excersize. You want to know what it is?" Um, I guess? "Just do this." He squats on his knees, then stands back up, then repeats. That's all? "That's all you need, dude! Just do like a bunch of them" Oh. "After a while it gets really, really hard to do. And you can feel it working." What about jogging or biking? "Dude, this is all you need. Just do like 50 of 'em and you're all set for the day." Well then. I guess I'm sold. I didn't leave the recliner, but I considered trying a couple, for a few seconds. I was busy reading. No time for anything right now...besides it was too hot out. My brother said he was late and his ride came to pick him up. Thus endeth this week's conversation with my brother.

CD: Van Halen, "Van Halen"

My dad was watching MTV Undressed again. I long time ago I might have tried scolding him. Usually I would just repeatedly ask him what else was on. If I was in the next room, I would tell him to turn it down at the very least. He's too old now and so am I. (Though they still check my ID at in Canada, what's up with that?) People that old (as old as him, that is) CAN learn to tricks, but they don't WANT to. So forget it. My dad comes home at night, watches TV for a few hours, and goes to sleep. That's it for him, maybe for the rest of his days. The only thing I can really do is resist that kind of entropy for the next 60 or so years. Wish me luck, dude. I've already been online for an hour now.

CD: They Might Be Giants, "Apollo 18"

I got me a new toothbrush. It was time. The old toothbrush's surface looked like a national park after a forest fire. The dentist told me I should use soft bristles, because apparently I have tender gums, or something like that. I really can't remember because I haven't seen my dentist in five years. But I was raised with a Protestant work ethic, so when it comes to fighting cavities a little pain and bleeding is par for the course. Did you know that there are no "hard" toothbrushes at the drugstore? Only "soft" and "medium"? Well, the mediums work just fine, thank you very much. And my teeth feel great, the bristles feel hard, and the inside of my mouth feels refreshingly raw. I'm not being sarcastic! It actually seems like I'm making progress, George W. Bush Administration-style, on the War Against Tooth Decay. And though I haven't seen a whole lotta progress yet, I'm sure that with a larger annual budget I'm going to be just fine. Now if I can just get myself to floss regularly...

CD: various, "Ultra-Lounge 4: Bachelor Pad Royale"

Well you got your Leninist-Marxists and you got your Socialists and you got your Leftests and you got your Greens and you got your Moderate Liberals and then you got your Reactionary Democrats. And they all publish at least one paper that comes out here in Buffalo. And I might actually throw my support to some of these people were not their banter so redundant, trite, and prejudiciously partisanin terms of their treatment of the conservatives and the Republicans. I mean, really, none of these papers are actually saying anything different from one another, yet you have half a dozen papers telling me that Al Gore should have won the election. Back when I was impressionable, I skimmed my father's "Solidarity" magazine, which he got in the mail for being in the UAW. And even when I was 10 and couldn't tell the difference between Democrat, Republican, VHS, or Beta, I could tell that information was skewed to far to be trusted. In comparison it took me two more years to get the same feelings for Rush Limbaugh. If the conservatives wrote as many papers as these guys did I say the same stuff, but at least those guys aren't wasting my time like with the public propoganda of People's World Weekly.

CD: various, "That Virtua Feeling: Sega and Sub Pop Get Together"

It has become my goal in life to drive my bought-new 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier into the ground. Oh yes, it will be done. When bought, I told my insurance company it would be driven about 10,000 miles a year. Pretty generous, seeing that beforehand I was driving about 3000 miles a year--just to work and back, mostly. But with a new car--a car that won't have to be in the shop every other week--my driving urges became more ferocious. Now there are over 20,000 miles on my car, in only the first 16 months. I am also planning on driving to Toronto, Pittsburgh, and Nashville within the coming weeks. Which reminds me, I better get my oil changed. And my tires rotated! Hell, I drove 150 miles today and I can't even remember where I went. Well, better get to bed, I've got a long drive tomorrow as well.

CD: Sonic Youth, "Washing Machine"

So I ran a red light. At two in the morning, in a small village, two blocks from where I was going to drop someone off. I am not upset, or feeling it's somehow unfair. I did a ton of other things in that car that day that could have gotten me in worse trouble. (Everyone says I'm a bad driver.) It is a bit ironic that my first recorded traffic infraction occurred when I was doing one of the least dangerous things possible--not stopping at a quite visibly empty, small-town intersection--but nevertheless I will change my ways. In terms of karma, this ticket was well-deserved. Too many times have I just missed a yellow light (a notorious signature of Buffalo drivers), or used an exit at the last second. And when I went in for a defensive driving course, once the guy just gave me the insurance reduction for free because no one else showed up. This has been a long time coming. I am a new man! Pretty much. I did the speed limit all the way home!

CD: Ozomatli, "Ozomatli"

Chore night. After several days of who-knows-what (schoolwork, traveling, etc.) that keeps a person away from basic maintenance, I can take that extra hour to concentrate on the smaller details of life. Like folding some of that laundry I didn't get to finish. Maybe reading some of that already mail I picked up yesterday. Organizing my CD collection back into their cases. Emptying out my "To Be Filed" folder (when it's the biggest folder in the cabinet, time to start sorting). Normally I'm pretty neat (and tidy, too ) so it's odd and somewhat disconcerting to see these three or four things out of place. I'm such a disappointment. Tisk tisk. Which reminds me, I've got some letters to send out!

CD: Shel Silverstein #3 (homemade compilation)

I was at a show yesterday that tried really really really to cater to the Extreme part of society. You know, the snowboarding/BMX/Do the Dew kind of people created by Madison Avenue. Everyone had a pretty good time, but some of it was kind of forced upon us. Stop asking us if we're having a good time! And while we're at it, you can only say "I can't HEAR you!" so many times.

But like I said, it was still a good show. The Extreme people got to see their favorite Extreme sports, the new rockers got to see some decent bands, and the moshers got some action in, too. Preferably, I like the mosh pit far away from myself, so I try to stay somewhere on the side or farther back in the middle. Yesterday, a Second Mosh Pit started behind me as well, creating a Mosh Sandwich. In the center of the sandwich was a two year old kid, who was held by a father that carried the boy in the left hand and kept the crowdsurfers at bay with the right. Nothing happened, but why? Why would you take a two year old child to an environment of adult substances and loud adult language, and then take them to a crowded area next to people that are literally trying to punch each other in the face? Well, I don't have all the answers. Maybe they couldn't find a babysitter that night.

CD: Primus, "The Brown Album"

I've got 3 minutes to write an entry! What to say what to say! Gotta go watch my favorite show. Then I gotta do some laundry. Then I gotta work on a research paper. Then I gotta get some sleep! It's already 12:30 in the morning! Why don't I do these things during the day? Oh well. Always something to watch or somewhere to go instead. Always another errand to run that could wait until tomorrow but probably shouldn't. Always have to get up and use the bathroom or get a snack or some water. Hey, I could go for some water right now. Awful hot day, it was. Water would be nice. Hey, one minute left! I'll spend it going to the kitchen sink.

CD: Soundgarden, "Down On the Upside"

I ran out of space to put my CDs...again. I am also way behind on cataloging; I can only estimate that I have about 800 CDs right now. Yes, the CD burner has help, as well as the Napster standbys. But I just bought 4 CDs in Toronto the other day and I know I'm going back in a couple weeks to find some more. Sick, sick, sick. In the same vein, today I tried catching up on my periodicals reading, as I have a stack of about 2 weeks worth of newspapers and other assorted rags I haven't plowed through yet. I'm almost done with that task. (A lot of those rags concern music and, vicariously, new CD reviews.) Today I thought to myself that if I lived in any other generation I would have never even considered the concept that there was too much information to digest. But I went to 20 other websites before I started this entry, just because I had stuff I wanted to look up. Have you ever thought to yourself, "I have to stop reading, turn of the radio and TV, and do something completely monotonous to reset my mind"? Are we lucky for this? Sometime I should write about how much of this information is actually informative. Gee, listen to me, I just finished listening to Radiohead and this is what happens. I have to go fold some laundry now; until tomorrow.

CD: various, "Just Say Roe"

Today I got an E-mail from myself, telling me I may win a Super Summer Holiday Vacation Thingy if I fill out the appropriate information at some alphanumerically named website. It was from an old TomServo0 I used to use in my college days and had lost the password. Whoever took it over and sent out the mail should have considered, possibly, to not E-mail another address of the guy's that he took. Don't you think? Then I wouldn't have to find out about it and shut him down. The same thing apparently happened to one of my father's addresses and when we found out and checked, there were 999 E-mails in his outbox. In conclusion, it was nice that someone actually sent me an E-mail, even if it was from myself. It made my day so much I even wrote this little letter about it. Yay! Now to Chuck for the weather.

CD: Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, "No Quarter (Unledded)"

[Not much to say but hi.] How are you? How have you been? My, the last time I talked to you was at...? Remember ______ was there? What's she up to now? No kidding! Oh, yeah I'm still in school. Oh, I study education at Buffalo State now. I'll probably do that for year and then get a job. What are you doing now? That's cool. Really? Since when? That's great. Man, you're on your way. Yeah, he's still around, I talked to him a couple of days ago. Did you know he moved? No, he likes it a lot there. He'll be in the area in a few weeks. Hehe, that's just like the time.... I know, I know. It just costs so much now. So what are you doing this weekend? Neither am I. We should do something. I dunno. We always have this problem! Hey, that's an idea. Who else would want to go? Hmm. Dude, yeah! Call him up. That would be cool. Okay, and I'll call.... Yeah but then I'll call you at seven after I call her. Something like that. Cool, it's a plan. Should we do something else afterwards? Yeah, we'll see. This could be cool. Oh, okay. Well I'll call you then. Yeah, good to see you again! Crazy coincidence.... Uh huh. Yeah, hehe. Okay, I'll see you later!

CD: Rufus Wainwright, "Poses"

I've been working on my lack of a diet. No, actually I've just been thinking about it. I'm not the healthiest person in the world, but I am not fat either; nevertheless I concern myself with what I eat. This is mostly because what I eat is a whole pile of crap. Ramen noodles. Chocolate brownies. Several bowls of Corn Flakes. Or is it what I DON'T eat? An ample number of fruits? A steady intake of fiber? My problem is that I might eat one meal during the day, and then, right before I go to bed, I say "Well, you can eat a little something before bed, you are a bit malnourished right now." Bam, half a casserole is downed. I really gotta work on those portions. No wait, take off the "s" of the last word in that sentence. And no more brownies for breakfast, either...

CD: CMJ New Music Monthly, March 2001

It rained today! But not too much that we had clear skies tomorrow. That means there could be rain tomorrow! Not too shabby. I like sunny days--I've been working on my farmer's tan--but the heat is so oppressive that I don't know what to do with myself. Lately it means I fall asleep after doing something extremely physical, like getting the mail or eating a sandwich. Another problem with summer weather is that it's not spring or fall, when it's comfortable to do any outside exercise. Autumn is good because you can get just enough of a workout to get a sweat and still warm yourself up. It evens out! But in the summertime you fry (I'm peeling skin off right now) and melt at the same time. If you're in an empty wading pool at the time you can simmer in your own juices. Even if that happened, it'd be to hot to eat yourself! Rain, rain, come again, you my very bestest friend...

CD: various, burned 4/20/00

I was just watching TV Land when they played one of those Classic Commercials. Remember the old Wendy's ad where they're at a Soviet fashion show, and the Eveningwear, Sleepwear, and Swimwear are the same outfit? That's a good one. The music makes it. What good commercials are out there today? I remember the Super Bowl ad for E*Trade with the cymbal-playing monkey. Or something like that. Either way, they made a point of how they wasted $2 million on the ad, but they can show you how to invest your money smartly. Funny monkey! The Chili's ads for Baby Back Ribs were good, but only the first one. The rest were pretty redundant. Then they added N*Sync (what's with the asterisks?) where Chili's totally sold out. I like the Little Caesar's ad with the kid trying to release the Free Crazy Bread back into the wild. ("You're free, crazy bread, go go go!") The Blockbuster video game ads are good. Like the one guy that didn't stop playing games for days and started to smell bad? Then the store manager walks by and sniffs him and keels over, and then the one worker goes "Yes, we're closing early!" But I digress.

CD: Black Label Society, "Sonic Brew"
(It beats saying Natalie Imbruglia again, doesn't it?)

Maybe I don't want to look for a job. Maybe I don't want a lucrative career. Maybe I don't want to get a more expensive education. Maybe I only watch auto races for the crashes. Maybe some of the things I do are illegal and I don't care. Maybe I'm not a patriot. Maybe I'm not a capitalist. Maybe I have serious emotional problems. Maybe you're right after all. Maybe I should have admitted that sooner. Maybe I should be asleep right now. Maybe I don't work hard enough to earn what I make. Maybe I will always be a corporate tool. Maybe jingoism is an admirable quality. Maybe I should work more on my posture. Maybe everyone's a racist. Maybe I'm the most racist person I've met. Maybe things are better now. Maybe the world is digging a hole instead of building a tower. Maybe this weblog is a bad idea. Maybe someone will read this post and adversely affect my life because of it. Maybe intelligence makes you synical. Maybe I'm a compete idiot.

CD: Spacehog, "The Hoggysey"

The worst procrastination happens now, when your eyes start to get tired and you say to yourself "I should really get some sleep. That's the most important thing. I can just get up earlier in the morning..." It almost always never works. The snooze alarm is the most diabolical invention known to mankind, even more destructive than the atomic bomb....And so again I succumb to its powers. Tonight I will rest--only for a little while, I pray--with the alarm clock far away from my bed. I will remove it from arms' length in order to fulfill the promises made to my weakened constitution. Victory may still be ours in our time.

On a similar note, if another job application asks me about my Philosophy of Education one more time, I might FIND my temper...

CD: Natalie Imbruglia, "White Lilies Island"

(Yes, again. I know I have a problem.)

Swearing is fun, but it wears out its welcome quickly. It also sounds somewhat grating to others and should never be spoken around children. (Though I doubt that if we did that unrestricted that children's minds would be adversely affected.) The funnest of all is making up your own curse words! Here is a short list of some of the ones I use.

Shiznit!
Frickin' A!
Jiminy Cricket!
Jim Crow!
Sunnuva!
Nizzuts!
Bloody 'eck!
Well I'll be dipped in peanut butter sauce! (Thanks Wayne)
Tang!
Hooey!
Sheepskin!
W!
Frenchy McFrench!

And since I'm too busy listening to Natalie Imbruglia to remember the rest of them, I'll make a few new ones up:

Shibby! (Thanks Steve)
Urge to kill rising! (Thanks Jim)
Fang!
Egrecks!
Peter Frampton!
Stu-stu-studio!
Gingerbread! (Thanks Dave)
McFly!
Fran-CIS!
Effing Tower!

See? It's fun AND easy. Try it today!

CD: Drain S.T.H., "Horror Wrestling"

When you think of America, what comes to mind? I was talking with someone from the Czech Republic today about July 4th. I mentioned some of the little facts I knew, like the Declaration of Independence was signed before July 4th, so Independence Day really isn't Independence Day. (Actually, since the Treaty of Paris acknowledging America's independence wasn't signed until 1783....Anyway.) She knew about the Boston Tea Party, but because of her accent I thought she said the cause of it was "Texas." After figuring it out I added that the "Texas" Americans had to pay were the lowest in the British Empire, and therefore probably the world. So sometimes when I think about America, I think it is a nation of whiny brats who like to eat. But on a more positive note, America is, well, so UN-American. On the 4th of July we sing our national anthem (British, look it up), drink beer (German), light firecrackers (Chinese) and celebrate our system of government (Roman, Greek, British, Iroquois, French, etc.) and our independence from foreign oppression (?) All of this country used to be owned by Natives, and we either got it from them or the British, French, Spanish, Dutch, Mexicans, Russians, Canadians, Hawaiians, or countless other people, usually by force or unfair land dealings. The Statue of Liberty was built in France. New York City is the home of the United Nations. And on and on. So if anything, be thankful that we are a nation of people from around the world who have worked harder than anyone to deserve the right to become whiny brats who like to eat. And if America=the world, God bless Americans.

CD: Stone Temple Pilots, "No. 4"

Jeff is drunk. Sometimes drunk can be funny, like Otis. But sometimes it can be annoying, or disgusting, or even scary. On the internet, however, it's only funny! Jeff just can't spell, that's all. Like this example:

(12:49:23 AM): we hvae to git tehere earliy
(12:49:28 AM): it is bizzy
(12:49:35 AM): 10 but bixzy
(12:49:42 AM): earli!! qw git htere
(12:49:48 AM): poops - sorryyy
(12:49:58 AM): pskkrf
(12:50:05 AM): pakked
(12:50:14 AM): bizzy!

THAT is comedy. The best part is that they can't see you laughing at everything they say, and you can make it look as if you're taking all their statements with absolute seriousness. My favorite part is when they just start apologizing for things: for being a bad friend, for being drunk, for something that may or may not have happened two months before. Jeff's not doing that now, but if he were this would be SO much cooler.

On a lighter note, I hope the terrorists aren't attacking us today, because July 4th is a great symbol of our independence but it also means 42% of our nation is drunk at any given time. Then again, the rest of us are either in uniform or armed with firecrackers and guns--even the kids--so I guess we'll be alright. So as the 9th District Court says, ___ Bless America and goodnight...

(12:45:30 AM): gte wrodl is psinning rihgt onw1

CD: Natalie Imbruglia, "White Lilies Island"

Currently trying to beat the heat. Fans are an obvious tool, but they are noisy and they blow in your face, causing one to feel even more tired than before. Air conditioning is even better, but for those of us who don't have air conditioning, piggybacking is required. Go to a restaurant instead of cooking. See a movie at the theater instead of watching television. Visit the public library instead of reading your mail/newspaper/books at home. But the best way to fend off the high temperatures? Ice cream. Oh yes. Half gallons on sale for $2.99 today; stock up and ride it out. Only 60 days until Labor Day...

CD: New Order, "Substance"

Three different factors can factors can create a feeling of fatigue. One of them is excessive heat, which slows the body down as it tries to cool off when it is 90+ degrees outside. A second is a lack of sleep, which can happen when one procrastinates on their grad school assignments resulting in two poor hours of sleep. [Please see previous post.] A third symptom is overeating, like when someone's personal "Finish It Off" diet plan requires that someone eat the last half of their mother's goulash casserole (yes, such a thing exists). All three of these factors met today for the first time at 2:30 PM EST in Western New York, where the author of this post remained completely incapacitated for much of the rest of the day. Scarily, the victim assesses that these same factors may again rejoin for a second deadly assault in about one hour. We'll keep you up-to-date with information as we get it.